These newly launched plant-based "rices" from San Francisco-based RightRice join a growing line-up of rice alternatives. RightRice is available exclusively at Whole Foods and via Amazon.

Photo: Image courtesy of Right Rice

For several years now, cauliflower rice has been the go-to alternative for folks looking for a lower-carb alternative to the starchy side dish.

Now, it looks like beans and legumes are getting into the alt-rice game. Bean and legume-based noodles have been a popular substitute for pasta lovers, so making the shift to rice makes perfect sense in our increasingly low-carb/paleo/keto-obsessed world.

Last week, San Francisco company Betterer Foods launched its own “plant-based rice” (ignoring the fact that rice also comes from a plant), made from lentil, chickpea, pea and rice flours, called RightRice. Available in several flavors ($3.99/7-ounce package) — lemon-pepper, garlic-herb, original and Spanish — the product will be available via Whole Foods and Amazon.

The brainchild of Popchips founder and former CEO Keith Belling, RightRice is gluten-free, vegan and low on the glycemic index. According to the company, each serving has 10 grams ofprotein, 5 grams of fiber and almost 40 percent fewer carbs than traditional white rice.

Betterer Foods wasn’t alone. On Tuesday, New York chickpea pasta maker Banza also debuted a chickpea rice in Whole Foods markets. Available for $3.99/8-ounce box, the rice will come in a plain chickpea version and a tricolor blend made with chickpeas, red lentils and green peas. Per serving, the Banza rice has 11 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 25 grams net carbs.

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Beyond being a more vegetable-heavy alternative to rice, the real question is, how does the stuff taste?

We tested out the locally made RightRice to see if it was any good.

RightRice cooks up similar to packaged couscous — bring water to a boil, add the rice, and cover and steam for about 10 minutes. Texture-wise, the rice was surprisingly toothsome and reminded us of orzo pasta.

The plain flavor had a faint bean-y quality that was a little strange on its own, but I imagine it would be perfectly pleasant tossed with a bit of butter, salt and pepper or served alongside a stir-fry or saucier dish.

As for the flavored rices, they all had that familiar artificial quality of other shelf-stable instant rices. Not that this is a bad thing — the savory quality of RightRice’s Spanish flavor made me want to scarf it down by the spoonful straight from the pan. (If you’ve ever enjoyed a box of Rice-a-Roni, you’ll know what I’m talking about.)

Overall, if you’re looking to find a grain alternative, these are certainly worth a try.

Sarah Fritsche first came to The San Francisco Chronicle as a culinary student in 2006. Upon completing her externship, she spent several years working back-of-house gigs in San Francisco’s restaurant and catering industries, as well as serving as the executive assistant for a wine and spirits start-up. In 2010, she returned to The Chronicle, and has since covered everything from breaking restaurant news to what produce is in season at Bay Area farmers’ markets. Her favorite beat, however, is cooking, testing and developing recipes in The Chronicle’s Test Kitchen. She is a member of the Association of Food Journalists.